


INSIDE

by BlueTopaz



Category: Jacksepticeye RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-02-07 21:04:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12849492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueTopaz/pseuds/BlueTopaz
Summary: Sean McLoughlin has always claimed that he has too much going on inside his own head, but that's just how things are. His characters live in his mind, helping him make decisions and influencing his personality as a whole.And on October 31st, 2016 they began the fight of their lives.





	1. Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first JSE Fanfiction and my first post on AO3 as a whole! This is an AU of sorts which will follow the story of Jack, the egos and Antisepticeye starting from Say Goodbye.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

**A concluding remark or gesture at parting**

**_October 31st, 2016- HALLOWEEN_ **

“I swear to God I’m hearing something.”

Jack pushed his chair back and stood up. Partially to the camera and partially to himself he added, “it's fucking _freaking_ me out.” He opened the bedroom door and stuck his head out into the hall.

“Hello?”

Nothing. Just like last time.

Shrugging, Jack stepped back into the frame of the camera and returned to his seat, shifting the partially carved pumpkin back towards him. “Maybe it’s the neighbors I’m hearing, “he mused aloud. “It sounds like someone stomping or banging.”

He laughed as he reached down to pick the ladle off the floor. “Maybe I’m just paranoid because it’s Halloween!”

Deep in the back of Jack’s mind there was an amused chuckle that wasn’t entirely his own. He could see them in his mind’s eye- three very strange figures watching him work through his own eyes. The first, a figure that looked just like Jack, dressed in scrubs and a lab coat, rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Zat doesn’t explain the laughing,” he said to no one in particular.

“Oh don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little Halloween spooks, Doc?” asked the second lookalike, this one wearing a cat mask and a black cape. “I think it adds to the atmosphere of the video!”

Dr. Schneeplestien scoffed. “Az you say Marvin.”

“I’m just looking forward to how AWESOME Gerald is gonna look!” the final lookalike exclaimed with a gesture to the view they had of Jack’s pumpkin. He was wearing a red spandex suit and a blue mask, and found the nickname Jack had given his pumpkin both amusing and endearing.

Marvin laughed. “That’s the spirit, Jackieboy!”

While the two Egos began to discuss other Halloween video ideas for the second video of the day, maybe something that involved Jack dressing up, Schneeplestien did his best to tune them out. He was too focused on Jack’s movements, searching for something out of place, something that would explain the unease he felt creeping up his spine. The weird feeling had snuck up on him around the middle of the month and had refused to go away. He was fairly certain it was _something_....

_There!_

Jack’s vision seemed to blur to Schneeplestien, but the YouTuber continued on as if nothing was wrong. The doctor narrowed his eyes.

There it was _again_. That twitch. That ringing sound like static on a TV.

Jack was close to finishing up the Jack-o-lantern.

“So the last thing you wanna do,” Jack said to the camera, “is you gotta take your knife and you’re gonna-“

Schneeplestien froze. Something was wrong.

“Wait-“ he managed.

“You’re gonna wanna find-“

“Jack- _NO_!” Schneeplestien rushed forward but was thrown back as something in Jack’s mind cracked. He hit the ground hard, static ringing in his ears. Jackieboy rushed up to him and pulled him to his feet.

“Doc! What the-?”

“Out of my way!” Schneeplestien shoved the superhero out of the way and tried to manifest. Pull himself into the real world.

But Jack wasn’t responding.

Something else was. Something twisted and- ...and _wrong_.

Something that forced itself forward until it had control, until it made Jack pull the carving knife in a jagged line across his own throat.

And Jack collapsed on the table.

“ _H̨e͟ḩ̴҉ę̷͢he҉͡ḩe҉.̶͜͠_.̷̢͘.̵̛͟”

“Oh _god_.”

“ _H̞e̶h̻̙͜e͙̣̫̪̣̜̹h̜̪̮e̪͠h̦e̬͕͓͉͙̦ͅh̥̝̼͍̺͕̲ḛ͚̫͍̙̹͓͢h̥͇̰͓̰e͏͍̮̘̦̰_.͉̼.͔̠͕͈͎̝ͅ.̰͍̗͙͜”

“Oh _god no_...”

....

“ _H̷͈ͅĄ̹ͅh̶̪̘̮̫̜̹̳̘͠A̖̰̬͖͟h̥̘͚̙͚H̖̪̕a̦̖͖͈̠̘͝͠h̥͎̳̗̺̥̲̻͞h̘̳͍̜A̶̢̖̞̭͉̘̥̯͙̘͠H̗͓̞̣͉͚̪̗͈H̷͙̫͓̠Ạ̡̞Ḫ̤̺͇͓̳̯̫̣͜͡_!”


	2. Damaged

**_Loss or harm resulting from injury to person, property, or reputation_ **

_April 2017- ONE MONTH BEFORE MOVING TO BRIGHTON_

Dr. Schneeplestien was tired. He knew the others were as well, attempting to continue throughout their daily life. There was a heavy weight that had settled over Sean’s body since Halloween. It was April now and still, there was a sense of wrongness that didn’t belong in the mind of the energetic Irishman.

The doctor rubbed his eyes and sighed. Sean was _finally_ asleep, which was a small respite from whatever new reality they lived in now. At least when he was sleeping, the mind could relax and focus on healing and Schneelpestein could keep a better eye on everything. He picked up his clipboard and made a few notes as he looked over the console. A warm green light shown from the massive array of buttons, screens, and various other complicated machines that were all attached to a massive glass tube. The doctor tapped one of the screens with a pen and hummed thoughtfully.

Schneeplestien stiffened suddenly as he felt a presence behind him or rather, several presences. Marvin and Jackie had returned from Jack’s subconscious where they had been crafting dreams, and with them was a third figure and yet another reason Schneeplestien wasn’t getting enough rest.

Chase Brody was Jack’s newest character, created a couple of weeks  ago and recently used for a “parody video.” Schneeplestien tried to push the memory of Chase’s creation out of his head. It would only cause more pain to resurface and right now he needed to think clearly. Both Jackie and Marvin seemed to have no such qualms and had accepted Chase rather quickly. Schneelpestein accepted the newest Ego for what he was of course, but with everything that had happened and with everything that _could_ happen, he felt rather unnerved anyway. He automatically tuned in on their conversation as they approached.

“How’s the blooper video coming along?’ Jackie was asking.

“It’s coming,” Marvin replied. “Robin and I have been sifting through footage for almost two days. It’s always a hassle finding clips that are _entertaining_ and not something the viewers have seen before.”

“You’ve made what...two of those videos already though?” Jackie exclaimed in confusion.

“Exactly! I can’t keep _repeating_ myself!” 

“Please Marv, you repeat things all the-”

“What the fuck is _that_?” Chase suddenly said. Out of the corner of his eye, Schneeplestein could see the kid pointing towards the machines where he stood.

Marvin and Jackie froze, exchanging glances.

“Oh…” Marvin muttered. “Shit.”

“I forgot,” Jackie added quietly.

Schneeplestein jumped as Chase suddenly appeared next to him- the boy had an annoying habit of doing that- and stared at the glass tube the doctor was monitoring. He squinted as he observed the figure floating inside. “Who’s that Doc?” He inquired.

Schneeplestein sighed. He usually didn’t like having to explain himself, but he often made an exception for the newest member of the mind. “Zat,” he replied, making some more notes on the clipboard. “Is Jack.”

Chase raised an eyebrow as he processed the information. “I...thought _we_ were Jack?”

The good doctor tsked. “No boy.” He explained. “We are _Sean_. Zere is actually a difference, although it is usually miniscule.”

Chase nodded, although Schneeplestein was sure he still didn’t fully understand. “So uh...why is Jack floating in the tube from _Empire Strikes Back_?”

Schneeplestein sighed. “A precautionary measure.” He said.

“For?”

The doctor closed his eyes and tried not to let his annoyance show. He looked behind him and noticed both Marvin and Jackie slipping out of the thought space, probably trying to avoid looking at Jack for too long. Annoyed as he was, Schneeplestein understood that explaining everything would probably yield the questions, so he relented. He put the clipboard down and faced Chase. 

“What do you remember about last Halloween?” he asked pointedly.

The youngest ego frowned. The kid had not had a physical form back then, but as a part of Sean’s consciousness, Schneeplestein knew he had to have felt something. Part of him was actually curious as to what.

“I remember….Gerald?” Chase began. “I think that’s what we named the pumpkin yeah? And um...we kept hearing those weird sounds…”

Schneeplestein nodded. “Go on.” He urged.

Chase rubbed his chin. “There was that….weird static. And then everything went dark because of-” He stopped. “Because of that...thing.” He didn’t say the name, much to Schneeplestein’s relief.

“Precisely, very good Chase.”

“He-it...did something. There was lots of blood.” Chase remembered, his words almost fevered like he hadn't given the experience much thought until this very moment. “How did we survive?”

“Zere was physical damage yes,” Schneep explained. “But it wasn’t enough to kill us immediately. A benefit to having a sharded soul, I presume. In fact, it was quickly rectified with a trip to the hospital when I took over, but the most extensive was ze damage to the soul.” He waved his hand and the figure of Jack went transparent except for a single diamond shaped shard glowing green in the middle of his chest. The shard was pulsing weakly, the brief flashes of light showing off the moderate cracks that had started to creep across its surface. Just looking at it made both Chase and the doctor instinctively touch their own chests.

“Because Jack was ze Ego in control at the time, our good friend took quite a hit. I’ve been keeping an eye on him while Sean sleeps in case the condition worsens.” He gave Chase a side glance. “Thankfully zis has not happened again since March.”

Chase nodded absently. “PAX.” He confirmed, referring to the incident that had happened at Jack’s panel.

“Zat’s right.”

As the two of them stood there, they both became aware of the conscious shift in Sean’s mind as the mental alarm clock alerted the two Egos of the time. The figure of Jack became apparent again and opened his eyes. He blinked and stared straight at both Chase and the doctor. 

Smiling gravely, he gave Schneeplestein a cautionary thumbs up. The doctor nodded solemnly and the figure vanished from the tube.

—————

Jack opened his eyes. He was lying in bed, sheets covering his legs. His vision was still swarming with images of the others, but they faded quickly like a dream. Their voices, however, never faded.

_ Up and at-em sleepyhead, I’ve got about thirteen ideas for games we can play and 24 hours is not nearly enough time to record them all- _

He smirked at Marvin’s enthusiasm, rolling over so he could check the clock. Noting the early time, he sat up and stretched. “Can I get some breakfast first?” He asked aloud.

_ Ugh….finnnneee _

_ Can you try to eat somesing healthy zis morning at least?  _ Henrik’s voice cut in.

“No promises, doc.”

_ Very funny. _

Laughing to himself, Jack stood and wandered towards the kitchen, feeling the familiar presence of his egos within. 

Today was going to be a good day.   
  



	3. Neglect

**_To leave undone or unattended to, especially through carelessness_ **

_April 2017- LATER THAT SAME DAY_

“Three...two...one…* _clap_ *

“ _TOP OF THE MORNING TO YA LADDIES MY NAME IS JACKSEPTICEYE_ and welcome to a little game called _Infinity Inc_!”

Chase looked up from his phone as Jack’s intro rang through the Hub like it had been played on a loudspeaker. Marvin was at the “controls”, watching through Jack’s eyes as he usually did when they recorded. The doctor had moved away to a desk that he had manifested on the other side of the room, and was typing away on a computer, muttering to himself. Chase noted that he seemed to do that a _lot_.

Stretching, Chase got up off the couch and walked up behind Marvin. Jack was playing one of those pixelated side-scroller games- this one involving cloning or something like that.

_“HEADS UP!”_

Chase and Marvin whirled around just in time to see Jackieboy come barreling into the Hub from his room. His hood was down and it was one of those rare occurrences where Chase realized he wasn’t wearing his mask. Probably because it was currently being held in the tail of a small green eyeball that made a circle around the room and stopped in the middle, wiggling it’s tiny body playfully.

“Sam, give it _back_!” Jackie tried to say sternly, but it was ruined by a laugh. Sam scrunched up, not unlike a cat about to pounce and waved the mask in Jackie’s direction. Chase snorted.

“You little-! _Comere_!” Jackie lunged at Sam.

His hand barely missed the little septiceye, but his momentum carried him a little too far and he tripped over himself and landed facedown on the floor with a comical _splat_! Chase doubled over laughing as Sam landed contentedly on top of Jackie’s hair, pleased that he had won.

Jackie propped himself up on one arm, shooting a good-natured glare at Chase. “Haha very funny.” He commented dryly. He held out his hand and looked up at Sam. “Can I have that back please?”

Sam made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a giggle and dropped the stolen mask into the superego’s waiting hand. Jackie stood and pulled the mask back down over his eyes as Sam flew over to Chase. Chase held up a fist and Sam bumped into it in greeting.

“Nice one, little dude.” Chase laughed. Sam squeaked in response before making himself comfortable on the brim of Chase’s hat. Marvin glanced back and smirked as Jackie came up next to him.

“Bested by the evil septiceye once again.” He teased. Jackie shoved him playfully.

The three of them settled into a row and continued to watch Jack play. For a few seconds, everything was quiet except for the sound of Jack’s commentary- which of course wasn’t quiet at all- until Scheeplestein straitened up at the desk.

“Chase.” He said urgently. “Come 'ere for a moment.”

Marvin raised an eyebrow and leaned over. “What did you do this time?” he whispered.

Chase sighed. “Who the fuck knows.” He muttered back before turning and walking towards the desk. “Sup Doc?”

Schneeplestein studied him for a moment, which as usual made Chase fidget a bit. Sam slid down off his hat and perched on his shoulder, returning the doctors stare.

Schneeplestein finally relented. “I realized something today when I vas going over ze brain activity records for zis past week.” He waved his hand absently at the computer screen, which showed graphs and charts that Chase couldn’t begin to comprehend. “You haven’t manifested yet have you?”

“Oh…” Chase shoved his hands into his pockets. “Uh no, I guess I haven’t.”

Schneeplestein muttered something in German that sounded an awful lot like a curse. “I thought so.” He said, rubbing his temples. “Zis is not good.”

“We drank the last pot of coffee not good or last Halloween not good?” Chase joked. His smirk died however when Schneeplestein shot him a withering glare.

“Young man zis is serious. Manifestation is one of the key abilities you must learn if you’re going to be part of this subconscious. If you can’t make a physical form in the real world then you give up all possibilities of being able to take control should Sean need you to.”

“Right,” Chase muttered. “That’s important.”

“ _Incredibly_ important, I can’t believe we let you go this long without-” The doctor exhaled deeply before managing a tight lipped smile. “It’s mostly my fault, so I will be teaching you.”

Chase felt his stomach sink. Schneeplestein had always been impatient with most everyone- he had recognized that the moment they’d met. He especially didn’t seem to appreciate Chase’s sense of humor. He couldn’t imagine any sort of scenario where this ended well, but he grinned anyway.

“Sounds great Doc. When do we start?”

—————

_Jack, a moment please._

Jack leaned back in his chair to stretch, mentally acknowledging the voice in the back of his mind. Adjusting his headphones, he continued to fiddle with the thumbnail he was making.

_Yeah Doc?_

_I wanted to let you know that I will be teaching Chase to manifest. I needed to confirm that you are alone this evening?_

Jack snorted. _Not the best way you could’ve put that Schneep._

_You know vat I meant._

_Yeah Doc, it’s just me tonight. And my lovely date Photoshop._

_Excellent. Let me know if it starts becoming too much of a strain._

_Will do. Good luck Chase._

There was a slight pressure in the back of his head as Chase acknowledged him- the mental equivalent of someone giving a thumbs up.

“Now Chase, ve will go step by step.” Schneeplestein began, turning to the younger ego. “Manifestation is relatively simple once you have mastered the steps, but you must be careful to to drain too much energy from Jack. Do you understand?”

Chase fixed his cap lower on his head. “Got it Doc. What’s first?”

“First you must tap into the core,” Schneep explained. “Your shard has an aura of sorts. You must connect zat aura with the aura of the core. Like plugging in a computer, zis will give you the strength needed to make a physical form.”

Chase frowned in thought as he tried to imagine what the doctor was saying.  “So what I just….feel around?” He chuckled at his own joke. “Heh, get it? Feel-”

“Yes, yes I get it.” Schneeplestein cut him off. “While that’s not ze most _elegant_ vay you could’ve put it, that’s mostly correct. Imagine your shard is like a magnet, let it point you towards the core.”

“Magnet, got it.” Chase closed his eyes. Concentrating hard, he focused in on the grey sliver that was his shard.

For a moment, it sat still, but Chase gave it a mental push and it suddenly spun on it’s axis. He felt a fluttering sensation in his chest as it searched- which was quickly replaced with a tugging feeling that nearly jerked him off his feet.

“Shit-!” Chase opened his eyes and stumbled. Schneeplestein caught his arm and straightened him again.

“What _is_ that?” Chase gasped.

 _That’s me Chase._ Jack reassured him. _Nice work._ Chase grinned as Schneeplestein nodded.

“Vell done.” the doctor said. “Now, zat you have ze connection, you must use it to pull yourself into the physical world.”

Chase’s smile fell a little. “You make it sound so easy Doc.”

Schneep narrowed his eyes. “It _vill_ be easy, once you’ve practiced enough. Now, maintaining a physical form is easy, creating one is ze hard part. Everyone has their own ways of helping themselves form but my first suggestion would perhaps be a running start.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Not at all. The barrier between ze mind and ze real world is simply a doorway that you must pass through.” Schneep moved aside and put his hands behind his back. “You may start ven you’re ready.”

Chase tilted his head. “I don’t even get a demonstration?” He chided.

“I believe in handz on learning.”

Chase rolled his eyes but didn’t argue any further. Taking a deep breath, he backed up a few steps and then sprinted towards the other end of the Hub. His shard spun like a top in his chest as he felt the air shift around him.

Suddenly, the shard stopped spinning and the tugging force pulled away from him like a rubber band snapping back on itself.  Chase yelped as he felt an invisible force hit him in the gut. Doubling over, he dropped to his knees in pain and the connection was severed.

Schneeplestein shook his head. “No no no.” he chided striding up to Chase. “You need to maintain the bond with the core.”

Chase huffed. “I thought I _did_.”

“Vell obviously not.” Schneeplestein grabbed his arm and pulled him back up. “Again. And this time don’t let go.”

Chase sighed. It was going to be a long night.

—————

Chase was frustrated. He and Schneeplestein had been at the manifestation lesson for hours. Days? He didn’t know anymore. All he knew was that he was tired and Schneeplestein was starting to get on his _last nerve_.

“Again.” The doctor said after what seemed like his millionth failed attempt. “You _need_ to concentrate Chase.”

Chase huffed. “I’m _trying_.” He snapped.

“Vell try _harder_.”

Chase gritted his teeth and bit back a retort. _Not worth it._ He told himself.

Still, he really wanted to wipe that condescending glare of Schneep’s face.

He could easily connect with Jack’s shard now. It was the actual manifestation part that just wasn’t happening. Jack, for all it was worth, had been extremely patient throughout.

Chase connected again and this time backed up completely so that he was pressed against the farthest wall. Schneeplestein simply stared at him as he pulled his hat down.

 _Concentrate Chase._ He told himself.

_Three_

_Two_

_One_

_Go!_

And he took off.

He nearly made it all the way to the far end of the Hub before the connection snapped again.This time,  it was like he had smacked into a concrete wall. A strong force hit him hard, making him stumble backward and land hard on his back.

“ _Fuck it!”_ Chase groaned as Schneep came up behind him. The doctor was frowning, but his face revealed nothing.

“Again.” He said, grabbing Chase’s arm to pull him up. Chase shoved him away.

“Forget it Doc, I’m done.”

Schneep pressed his lips together. “Chase zis is not one of your silly trick shots, zis is a skill that you-”

“I don’t _fucking care_ Schneep! I said I’m _done_!”

A silence stretched between them as Chase glared at the ground. When he finally looked up, the doctor was staring hard enough that Chase was sure he was going to burn a hole in the floor.

“Fine,” Schneeplestein said, rubbing his temples and turning away. “Just go.”

Gritting his teeth, Chase got to his feet as the doctor stalked off. Digging into his pocket, he fumbled angrily for his phone and earbuds as he headed for his room. He didn’t even look up until he ran headfirst into someone else.

“Hey now!” Jackie laughed and steadied the younger Ego as he stumbled. “Where’s the fire Loser?”

Chase shrugged, not aknowledging the nickname. “Doc said we were done for the day,” he muttered.

Jackie raised an eyebrow. Chase shook his head and pushed past him. “It’s nothing man,” he insisted, putting in his earbuds, “just Doc being Doc.”

He opened the door to his room and flicked on the light. He would be the first to admit that he might have gone overboard when Jackie and Marvin showed him how to create his own headspace, but he was proud of the results. Everything from the skateboards mounted on the far wall to the unmade queen-sized bed was his and his alone. He couldn’t say that about many things.

Pulling off his cap, he ruffled his hair and threw himself on the double bed, rousing a sleeping Sam who had been curled up on one of the pillows. Chase stared at the ceiling, letting his legs hang off the side. He was so fucking tired- he wanted to blink out of existence for a few days.

“Chase.”

He looked up. Jackie was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, staring at him. Chase groaned and flopped back down.

“Am I gonna get a lecture from you too?” he snapped. “I get it, I need to learn. He doesn’t have to be a dick about it.”

Jackie snorted and put down his hood before walking over to sit down on the edge of the bed. “Schneep isn’t the best teacher,” he began, “but he’s had more practice, so he knows what he’s doing.”

Chase gave a sarcastic thumbs up while staring at the ceiling. “Awesome. Ten out of ten. That makes everything better.”

“Look, as bad as it sounds, I’m actually glad he's teaching you.”

Chase lifted his head to stare at him. “ _Why?_ ”

“Because that means things are getting back to normal.”

Chase pressed his lips together in frustration. Of course, no matter what was going on it all came back to that. Back to Halloween. He rolled over and pressed his face into the pillows with a huff. He could feel Sam nudging his cheek gently.

“Give it a few weeks,” Jackie promised. “I think moving will be good for all of us. _Especially_  the doc.”

He stood up as Chase rolled back around. “I’ll leave you alone now.” He smiled before shifting his attention and adding, “don’t let him mope around for too long Sammy.”

Sam gave a mock salute with his tail. Chase snorted. “Thanks, Jackie.”

“Just doing my job.” Jackie winked and struck a heroic pose. “Jackieboy-Man away!”

The superego ran off, making _whoosh_ noises with his mouth. Chase laughed as Sam jumped onto his chest and turned in a circle, bunching up the fabric of his shirt into a bed that he curled up into. Chase absent-mindedly stroked the little mascot as he thought.

He understood _why_ Schneeplestin was worried, everything he remembered about last Halloween was not pleasant in the slightest. Feelings of fear and pain that had lasted for hours.

Still he couldn’t help but think that everything felt _fine_ now. He didn’t notice any difference in Sean. Schneeplestein was just probably just paranoid even though he admitted that there hadn’t been any problems since March. And even then that had been more of a video hijack done by whatever that _thing_ was.

Jack was healing up just fine.

So really, how bad could it be?


	4. Mistake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took like 500 years to write and I think it's my longest chapter yet.
> 
> Strap yourselves in guys, shit's about to get real.

**_To make a wrong judgment_ **

_August 3rd, 2017- FOUR MONTHS LATER_

The sound of keys tapping away was the only thing that could be heard in the dim Hub. Schneeplestein was at the monitor controls, having sent the others to bed- Chase had of course complained- but the doctor was adamant that everyone be well rested. Jack needed them all to be focused right now.

Schneep watched as Jack worked on editing his channel page. Ever since October, there had been some errors that the youtuber and the good doctor had been trying to edit out.

Unsuccessfully.

The past four months had been even worse. Strange messages popping up on Twitter and Tumblr. Weird tags on the videos. And some of the videos themselves…

Jack had been devastated when he discovered that the Halloween video had been posted- the incident in full glory on the screen. He’d spent three days trying to take it down before they determined that it simply would not be deleted. The community had been told it was only a Halloween skit and of course they had congratulated Jack on how  _realistic_ it had been.

Then there was the PAX incident. Jack’s panel intro video had somehow been corrupted and the culprit took extreme pleasure in rubbing it in their faces. That had somehow been uploaded as well.

Again, the community was convinced it was all an act. They drew fanart, they reblogged and liked all of the strange glitches. They even acknowledged Robin’s “editing.”

Schneeplestein wished with every part of his soul that it was really just a facade. Rubbing his eyes, Schneep also wished he could call it a day like the rest of them. But his job was never done nowadays.

 _I saw that._ Jack said.  _You should get some sleep Doc._

Schneeplestein manifested a rolling chair and pulled it up under him.  _I can’t Jack, I have to keep an eye on your vitals._

_Doc, I don’t think I’m going to explode in the next five hours. I’m not even doing anything now since I can’t take those stupid videos down._

The doctor sighed and leaned back in his chair.  _I just want to be sure zat everything is okay._ He admitted, turning back to his screens.

Jack didn’t reply, but Schneep felt him sigh.

For a few minutes, there was silence again. Schneeplestein observed the feedback from Jack’s soul. The cracks weren’t spreading or getting larger, which was good.

But they weren’t healing either. Schneep looked at his hands and sighed. He was the one at fault for that, but there was only so much he could do on his own...

Suddenly, Jack snapped his fingers, interrupting his thoughts and causing the doctor to jump.  _I got it._ He said.  _I know what will cheer you up._

 _Jack...please._ Schneep sighed.

_How about another BioInc video? The developer sent me a message about this really cool easter egg in the game._

Schneeplestein paused. He admitted the idea sounded nice- the BioInc Redemption videos had become a staple of his after all and he enjoyed being in them.

Maybe...he did need to take a break?

 _Alright._ Schneeplestein conceded.  _What’s ze easter egg if I may ask?_

He could feel Jack’s excitement as he explained.  _It’s me! I’m in the game!_

Schneep frowned.  _Az a patient…?_

 _Yeah! It’s-_ Jack paused, having sensed the doctor’s apprehension.  _Oh...Doc I-_

 _No zat’s fine._ Schneep smiled and gave Jack a mental reassurance.  _I think that would be fun Jack._

_...You sure?_

_Of course._ Schneeplestein stood and began to shut down the computers one by one. Slowly the light in the hub diminished until the only source was a single monitor.

_It’s just one game._

—————

When Chase woke up, the internal clock told him it was a little past ten in the morning. He yawned. He had woken up early today.

Rolling over, he swung his legs out of bed and sat up. Beside him, Sam stirred as well, blinking dramatically as Chase threw off the blankets and stood up.

“You coming for breakfast?” He asked the little eyeball. Sam let out an offended squeak and glided over to Chase’s shoulder, settling on it happily.

“That’s what I thought.” Chase laughed as he opened the door leading from his bedroom to the Hub.

When the two of them arrived in the central room, Chase was surprised to find only Marvin and Jackie there. Usually, Schneep was up all hours of the night monitoring one thing or the other on the wall of computers. Today, all the monitors were off except one, and the doctor was nowhere in sight. Marvin was reclining on the couch, lazily drawing shapes in the air with his wand as he ate a donut. Jackie had created a kitchen along the adjacent wall and was cooking breakfast. Chase could smell bacon as he approached.

“Morning sleepy head.” Jackie greeted him, handing him a cup of coffee. “Better eat fast, Doc wants us out of the Hub here in an hour.”

Chase took a sip from his mug. “Why?” he rasped, his voice still laced with sleep.

“He’s recording today.”

Chase rolled his eyes. If it had been anyone else there wouldn’t have been any fuss about the others being in the Hub. But no, Schneep liked his privacy when he was recording for Jack, probably because he got _extremely_ theatrical when he did. Taking another drink, Chase shuffled over to the monitors and squinted at them.

“ _Bio Inc. Redemption_ ” Chase read the name of the game on the screen. “I remember him playing that back in June.”

“Oh yeah.” Jackie laughed, coming up beside him. “Doc doesn’t play often, but you know he gets  _into_ games like that. The community loves it.”

Marvin smirked and looked at them through his magic doodles. “It’s one of like, three things that can get him to show emotion.”

The three of them burst into laughter. Sam flew over to Marvin and took a bite of his half-eaten donut. The magician frowned good-naturedly and shooed him away. “Oi, Brody! I think your mite needs some food!”

Chase finished off his coffee. “Since when was he just  _mine_?” He demanded with a laugh.

“Oh come on, it’s no secret he likes you the best.”

Chase shook his head and grabbed Sam by the tail. “Come here, you.” He said, holding him up to his face. Sam blinked innocently at him from his upside-down position and planted a slimy kiss on Chase’s nose.

“You’re hopeless you know that?”

Sam squeaked happily in reply. Chase released him and walked over to the kitchen. Grabbing a piece of bacon off the plate next to the stove, he turned and tossed it Sam’s direction. The little eyeball split his cornea open into a jagged mouth and caught it, devouring it instantly.

“I will never get over how freaky that is,” Marvin commented.

“Chase.” Schneeplestein appeared in the doorway to his room, putting on his cap. “If you keep feeding him zat he’s going to get fat.”

Chase rolled his eyes. “Sure Doc.”

Schneep frowned for a moment before shaking his head and striding towards the monitors. Chase sighed. Even now, four months later, the two of them were still sore over Chase’s initial teaching session. Jackie had taken up the mantle of trying to help Chase manifest, but the youngest ego was still no closer to having a physical form. Scooping up Sam under one arm and grabbing a handful of bacon, Chase walked back to his room.

“Talk to you guys later.” He called over his shoulder. Marvin sat up and brushed donut crumbs off his shirt before shooting Chase a thumbs up. Jackie loaded a plate with bacon and eggs and walked over to where Schneep was settling in.

“Eat.” He said simply, putting the plate down next to him and walking away before the doctor could protest. Jackie grabbed Marvin by the cape and pulled him towards Chase’s room- the magician firing a shower of sparks from his wand as he waved to Schneep. The doctor chuckled and turned to the monitors. Jack was supposed to signal him when it was time to take over.

A minute passed. Schneep heard the familiar intro and smiled to himself as Jack excitedly explained the easter egg to the audience.

“And of course we’re actually gonna choose  _life_  this time instead of trying to kill myself because-” Jack tapered off. “ _Oh._ ” His voice had changed. “O-okay, hold on.”

Alarmed, Schneeplestein switched the feed to Jack’s POV.

The vision was bobbing up and down as Jack ran from his studio down the hall to the bathroom. Just as he slammed the door behind him, he hit his knees and vomited violently into the toilet.

 _Oh no._  The doctor thought. He stood up from the chair and turned on his heel, forcing himself out of Jack’s subconscious. There was a dramatic shift in light as he went from standing in the Hub to standing next Jack, who was leaning over the toilet looking miserable.

“Hey Doc.” he mumbled.

Schneep glanced at the vomit in the toilet and frowned. “What is zis?” he asked. “Did you eat something zat did not agree with you?”

Jack shuddered. “I don’t... _think_  so.” He replied. “It just...came on when I was...recording.”

Schneeplestein knelt down and felt Jack’s forehead. “You do not seem to have ze fever.” He noted. He patted his pockets. “Let me see if I can find my- aha!” Schneep pulled a thermometer from his coat pocket and stuck it in Jack’s mouth.

“Doc…” Jack’s protests were muffled by the thermometer. Schneep shot him a look. Jack huffed but said nothing until the little device beeped. Schneep retrieved it and glanced at the results.

“Az I thought, no fever.” He said. “Yet here you are hugging the throne, hm?”

Jack snorted. “Maybe the game gave me a virus.” He joked weakly.

“Jack.” Schneep peered at him, concerned. “Ve can postpone the video if you truly do not feel vell..”

Jack heaved again and gripped the sides of the toilet. “No I...I already recorded the intro.” He managed. “The camera’s still going...you can...you can take over anytime.”

“You are sure?”

Jack gave him a thin smile. “Yeah Doc, I’ll just lie down in the Hub. I’ll be fine.”

“Very vell...” Schneep stood, did another dramatic turn and vanished. For a moment Jack stared into the toilet until his vision went fuzzy.

Then, a blink, a moment of darkness, and it was not Jack, but Schneeplestein kneeling on the floor of the bathroom. The doctor stood, flushed the toilet, and reached into the pocket of his white coat. Pulling out his surgical mask, he pulled the elastic over his ears and opened the door to the recording studio.

 _Have fun, doc._ Jack’s voice was inside his head now, weak but supportive.

Schneeplestein slid into Jack’s chair, glanced at the camera, and, despite his worries about Jack, smiled to himself under the mask.

“ _Velcome, velcome_! It appears ze good doctor’s services are needed again!”

Getting back into the persona of the eccentric doctor was easy enough. Schneep played up the concept of “saving” the computer-generated Jack while keeping an eye on the real thing in the corner of his mind. He could see Jack lying on the couch, looking pale. Schneep made a mental note to review Jack’s diet when he was done. It was unlike him to suddenly get sick.

Schneep shook his head and pushed himself to focus on his current task. There would be plenty of time to discuss Jack’s health once the video was done.

For the first few minutes, everything went well. Jack fell asleep on the couch. Schneep let himself ramble on about diseases and medical testing, preferring to slip in incorrect information so the video would not be taken _too_ seriously.

So concentrated was he, that he nearly jumped out of the chair when his vision suddenly filled with static the first time.

No. It couldn’t be.

Schneeplestein shook his head. _It was just the game_. He told himself.

Just the game.  
_  
_ _A͡r̡̢e҉̷͞ y̵̨o̵u̷͞ ̡̛s̷̵̸ur̕͡e͞ a̡bo̵͝ut̛͜ t͏ha̶͏t̸̛͜?̸̕̕_

The voice was grating. So very different to his own thoughts. Like listening to feedback through a microphone.

_Save him_

There was a flash of something inside his mind. Jack was no longer asleep. Schneep could see him struggling against some unseen force.

_Doc! DOC!_

“Jack-!”

_What’re you waiting for Henrik? S̱͚̹̝ͣͬ͐̏͋ã͚̳̦̠̯͓v͖͇̦͔͐̑͆͗e̊̾̅ͬ̀ͯͥ ̨̟̇ͭ͋̈́ͮh͋̄͊̾i̬̋͊̿̈́m̖̟̦̄̐ͮ̍̋̇͞.̱̮ͦͩ̔͜_

Save him. Save Jack. He was counting on him dammit. He could see him. He was right  _there_.

 _̦̙͖͓̂̿ͪ̽͂ͦͪ…̷̀̂ͯ͊͐̔̓_ **_D͙͎̦͔̗̞̲ͥ̄͒̊͒ͦ̽O̦̖̱̯̩͈͋ͭ̈́ ̹̲̗̖̻͚̹̆̑̃̊͑̌̃I̬̲͖̒T͒͂̂̎̔̋͋…̘̞͔̱͙̠̄̽̕_ **

_͗ͣͩ̿_ A shudder went up his spine. The doctor felt himself wrap the cord around his neck. Cursing, he detangled himself and tried to concentrate.

“Stay vith me buddy!” he begged.

**_Y̷͍͍͔̪̝̤̺̪ͮͣ͛̈́ͪO̢̱̻͖͍̠̱̠ͯͩͨȔ̼̹̙̟͒̾̕͢ ̛̆̿҉҉͙͓̮͍̝͖̫̲͇C͉̰ͪ͂̅ͦͧͣ̚A͆̐̎̇͛̄̎ͭ͏͏̖̗N͍̞͕̦̖̮̭̯͒̂ͤ̐’͍̩̘̿̑͂͑͂̑͒T̢͛ͫͤ͏̥̹̝͉.̼͕̼͙͈͕͎̃̆͛̏͠_ **

Static.  A dark room. Jack’s blank expression staring at him. A knife in his chest.

His hands were shaking. He couldn’t distinguish between the game and real life anymore. He kept clicking, not paying any attention to what. Maybe if he won-.

This could work. He could still save Jack.

He could still save...  
  
**_A̶N̸͘͜҉̛TI͏͜_ **

Choking. Blood.

 _So much **blood**_.

A _flatline_.

“ _Jack! No, my friend_ -!”

Static filled his head. His eyes hurt. He could feel something dripping down his face. Was it tears? Blood? He didn’t know. All he could fee was the  _ **pain**_.

And then...

Darkness. Swallowing him whole.

Two words.

You can't.

You can't.

**_Y̎̏̏͏̹̭͚̗̱͉̥o̦͎̳u̞̰̱̬̽͑͘ ̘̮̱͎̘͍̝ͧͨ̒̾̅͊ͪ͠c̵̟̫̞̥̀́͛͋̌a̛̯̓ͫn̹̰̥̩̘̆̆͆͒̈́'̂̈́͏̘̤̯̼͔̲ͅt̷͈̙̤̎̈͌͗͗ͭ̋.̡ͪ͑̓̎_ **


	5. Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haaaaaiiiiii... *waves sheepishly*
> 
> So, I haven't updated this fic in Too Fucking Long (TM). I apologize for that, I hope to be more punctual and frequent with my updates this year! But ya know, life is life and it sucks sometimes.
> 
> Anyway- I'm sure you're tired of me holding off on you. On with the chapter!

**_The complete absence of sound; To prohibit or prevent from speaking_ **

 

“Has it been quiet out there to you guys?”

Chase looked up from the TV at Jackie, who was reclining comfortably on Chase’s bed with a new Spider-Man comic in hand. Marvin didn’t bother pausing the game and ended up running Chase’s character right off the map.

“Hey!”

“Don’t look away then, stupid!”

Chase pushed the magician over and paused the game himself. “What do you mean Jackie?” he addressed the superhero. Jackie tilted his head towards the door- a clear sign that he was listening for something.

“I dunno...it’s just been awful... _ peaceful _ for the past few minutes.” Jackie mused, closing the comic and getting up off the bed.

Marvin laughed. “There’s a word you don’t hear around here.”

Chase shrugged. “Maybe Henrik’s done recording.” he suggested, taking a handful of popcorn from the bowl beside him. Jackie looked over at the clock on Chase’s nightstand.

“After eight minutes? Not fucking likely-.” Jackie reached for the doorknob and tried to open the door but found it stuck. Grunting, he tried turning it again, but the knob wouldn't budge.

“Hey Loser, unlock the door,” he said. 

“Huh?” asked Chase, distracted once again by Mario Kart.

“You locked the door and I can’t get out,” Jackie emphasized his statement by attempting to twist the doorknob again. Chase raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t lock the door.”

Jackie froze. “What?”

Chase sighed and got to his feet, abandoning his controller. He walked over to Jackie and grabbed the doorknob. “I said I didn’t-”

Something surged through him like electricity, burning his hand and shooting off a spark of what looked like green lightning. Chase immediately withdrew his hand, cursing.

“What the actual  _ fuck _ !” Chase checked his hand for any burns. Finding none, he looked at Jackie. “What the hell was that?”

Marvin and Jackie exchanged glances. Sam peered out from under Chase’s blankets.

“Jackie-”Marvin began.

Jackie ran a hand through his hair. “It’s probably nothing.” He reassured them, pulling his mask down over his eyes. Chase noticed this.

“If it’s nothing then why are you putting your mask on?” He demanded. 

Jackie didn’t reply. Instead, he lifted his foot and kicked at the door with all his strength. The wood in the center splintered instantly, leaving a decent-sized hole. Chase jumped back.

“ _ Dude!”  _

“I’ll fix it later.” Jackie pulled a few large pieces out of the way and ducked through the hole without another word. Chase looked at Marvin, who had his hand on his wand nervously.

“We better follow him.” He said. “Make sure it really is nothing.”

They two ducked through the hole, running down the hall towards the hub. Sam shot from under the blankets, hovering alongside Chase. When they emerged, the room was dark- with only the glow from the computers illuminating the area in front of them. Jackie was knelt in the dim light by an unconscious Schneeplestein lying facedown on the floor.

“Jesus  _ fuck _ !” Marvin slipped his wand into his belt loop and ran to Schneep’s other side. 

“He’s breathing,” Jackie said, looking unsettled. “But he’s not responding, “And I can’t...I can’t get a hold of Jack either.”

Chase felt his heart skip a beat. “What?!”

The images on the computer flickered, catching his attention. Frowning, Chase stepped around Marvin and leaned over to take a closer look.

The game was still running, showing that the patient had died. Of course, this was Bio Inc, Schneep had killed patients before in that game…

But it was the  _ name _ of the patient that made him a little nervous.

“Guys….I think you should look at this.”

“What?” Jackie looked up from trying to shake Schneep awake. Chase pointed at the screen.

Right at the name  _ Jacksepticeye. _

The screen warped again, followed by a strange noise that could only be described as giggling. Schneep’s body glitched and fizzled away, leaving Jackie and Marvin scrambling backwards.

“ _ Henrik! _ ”

The screens flashed a third time and the game image vanished in a blink of sickly-green static, leaving nothing but a dark monitor.

_ "Di̧d̸ you̷ mi̧s̸s me͝?“ _

“No….” Jackie hissed. Marvin pulled out his wand, gritting his teeth as  _ something _ started to form in front of them.

The very air in front of the computers began to warp, glitching like the screens before. A shadowy figure of someone sitting on the desk flashed into view once….twice….

A fifth Jacksepticeye lookalike seemed to form from the glitches. He was dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans and held a bloody knife casually to his side, but Chase’s gaze was more focused on the jagged, bloody slit across his throat.

The giggling got louder until it exploded into a full-on malicious laugh as the thing seemed to enjoy Jackie and Marvin’s stares of horror. Jackie instantly pushed Chase behind them and scowled.

“ _ Antisepticeye _ .”

“͠O̶h͠,̴ ̛v̛ȩry̛ ̶go̸o͢d ̷hero! Yo̢ư re̶mem̸ber!̡”̧ Antisepticeye’s laugh sounded like white static on a TV as he clapped his hands.

“Where’s Henrik you  _ fucking maniac _ ?!” The end of Marvin’s wand started to glow red. “What did you do to him?!”

“Ze ̴g͞oo͘d d̕o͞c̸t͝a̸h?”̷ Anti tilted his head, a grin still plastered on his face. “̕W͟h͟at͏ mak̡e̕s ̵y̵o̶u̴ th̶ink̢ ҉I͠ d͠i̢d͢ ͏ _a̴nythi̛ng_ to̡ ͡him̕?”̸”

“I said, _where is he_?!” There was a flash of light as a column of fire was shot from the wand, hitting the monitor inches from Anti’s ear. He didn’t even flinch.

Anti’s gaze shifted lazily to Jackie. “Yǫu͝r ̶bro͞t̛he̡r̢ s̕h͏o̕u҉l̛d͏ ͝rea̛l̵ly̶ ͟l̶ear̢n to͡ ͝co҉nt̨r͏ol̢ his ̵t̛emper̸.̢” He commented dryly, still smiling.

“Why are you here Anti?” Jackie demanded through gritted teeth. “What do you want?”  

“C͟a̕n̕’t ͏I̴ j͝ust̢ ͠pơp͡ in͢ fo̶r ̡a v҉is͞it~?”

“ _ You’re not  _ **_answering_ ** _ me _ !”

“Ma̛yb̡e̶ ̸b҉e̵c͜a̡us͢e you͏’͞re ͝a͏skin̢g ̧t̵he͏ ͝w̛r̵ong qu̕e͟st͢i̡on͞s҉.”̧ Anti’s smile grew wider. “B̢u҉t͠ y̵o͞ư’re rįght̴, I͏ d͢id͢ c͜ome h͞e͘re ̶fo̷r ͜a r̢e̢a͘son.̕.͘.̡a̵n̵d I͠ ͢w̸a͡s ͡sưcce̡s̷sf̶ul̸.̷”

Chase’s eyes flickered back to the monitor.

“B̛a͟b̵y̢ bro̕t͘her’s ҉got ̴the̛ ̕rig̕h͞t id͘e͏a~.”̶

Jackie’s face twisted into an expression of pure rage. “ _ You have no right to call him that _ .”

“Yo̧u͏’r̡e͝ right.̨” Anti snarled.  _“B̷e̕caus͝e ͢i̛n ͞a͝ ̷mo̸me͢n͢t h͡e̸’͡ll be͞ dead͟.”͠_

Everything happened in an instant. Anti glitched off the desk and appeared inches from Chase’s face, swinging his knife to pierce his heart. Something hard hit him from the side and suddenly he was on the ground- his vision red.

“You son of a  _ bitch _ !”

Chase soon realized that the red he was seeing was Jackie’s jumpsuit- the oldest ego had tackled him to the ground and out of Anti’s line of attack. Marvin jumped in immediately- conjuring a column of fire that billowed out from his wand and covered the monitors. Anti fizzled into nothing for a brief moment and appeared behind him.  
  
_"G_ _ o͟tt̢a be ͘fa҉ster ̨than̷ t͢ha͘t̶,̨ ̧m͞ag̢ici͡an." _

Jackie cursed and turned to Chase. “Stay down!” He ordered, getting back to his feet.  


“W-Wait, Jackie-!” He protested. Too late. Jackie dove into the fray, his fists glowing septic green to match his eyes. He swung a charged fist at Anti, who ducked, still wearing a shit-eating grin.Jackie cursed and turned to Chase. “Stay down!” He ordered, getting back to his feet.

Marvin’s fire spread across the wall and onto the floor, filling the Hub with smoke. Chase could see the silhouettes of Anti and Jackie flickering as they fought.

Anti dodged another charged fist, spun on his heel, and landed a perfect kick in Marvin’s stomach, sending him flying.

“ _ MARVIN _ !” Jackie and Chase screamed in unison. Before Chase could get up, Jackie turned on Anti again, his eyes practically ablaze. He rushed at Anti, his glowing-green fist connecting straight with the glitch demon’s chest.

There was a burst of static and Jackie and Anti flew in opposite directions across the Hub. Jackie hit the wall hard and slumped to the floor alongside Marvin. Anti staggered against the console and pressed a hand to his chest, appearing to be winded. He lifted his gaze to stare at them. 

“As̨ ͘m̢u͝ch ̸f̴u͡n͜ t̵his͢ ͏has be͡en̛,͝ I c̨an ̵sęe̡ I’m ̸s̴t͘i̸ll n̸ot̕ ͏w͜e҉lco͡m̴e,” Anti said, his voice going static for a moment. “̧B̕ut̷ ̷f҉irst- a͜ par͘t̢ing gi͡f͝t.̡”

Jackie struggled to push himself to his feet. Chase squinted through the smoke and saw Anti spin his knife once before holding it over the console.

**_“̵̢͠S̵a̡y go̧҉̛o͡d̸̡b͞y͏ę҉̵~̛͝”̴͢_ **

Time slowed down as Anti jabbed the knife into the controls, laughing maniacally as electricity sparked across his body. Jackie screamed something, scrambling to get to Anti. Chase’s vision seemed to blur the longer he looked at him.

Anti glitched violently, still laughing. Jackie lunged at him.

Then, as soon as he had arrived, he was gone.

Taking Henrik and Jack with him.


End file.
